What's on your reference CD?

[doug osborne]

Originally posted by franknputer OK, I'm a live audio guy... but my favorite is The Neville Brothers' Yellow Moon . Nice, round bass, lots of different vocals & instruments to hear, both ballads & faster stuff - a good cross-section of almost anything you'd run across.

This is a great one - produced by Daniel Lanois, and released at about the same time as Bob Dylan's No Mercy, also produced by DL.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I use a bunch of different stuff, depending on what I want to hear and what I'm working on. I don't really use them to try to "cop sounds" as much as I do as an audible reminder... our ears can acclimate fairly quickly to some pretty extreme EQ fluctuations, and so I find it's good to occasionally reference other stuff as a "reality check". A good RTA can also be a useful tool, but for me, I usually find a reference CD is more "fun".

I really like old Steely Dan records - they're very well recorded although usually pretty "dry". I use the Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story, 1972-1980 double CD compilation a lot, since it covers some good bits off of several albums. Fagan's solo album, "The Nightfly" is also a very well recorded record.

I frequently reference The Beatles "Revolver" just because I think it's one of the best records ever made, and I "know" it backwards and forwards. True, it's not super layered, nor super modern, but the songs and parts shine through. And because know it so well, a quick listen of that can quickly tell me a lot about an unfamiliar monitoring environment.

I sometimes use Matthew Sweet's "100% Fun" for raw guitar references... a great CD IMO.

Gotta mention Jellyfish - IMO, "Spilt Milk" is one of the greatest albums of all time, and it is a excellent example of "track compression done right".

Seal's stuff is also excellent - I really like the track "No Easy Way" - it's a very welll recorded and mixed ballad. Another favorite is Gladys Knight & The Pips "Neither One Of Us" - great mix, great emotion, fantastic song.

I also use some of my own work - again, I "know it" really well, and that can be helpful when I'm in a room I have not worked in before.

I've got lots of favorites, but there you go - a few "off the top of my (very bald ) head".

[TBush]

Jellyfish? Does "The Grays" count?! I have referenced that particular Jack Puig mix for a long time now...

For huge metal it's the "Silence is Madness" CD by Blindside. Huge. Or maybe the 3rd P.O.D....

Everclear for cool pop mixes...

I will usually mix until I think it's really REALLY close, then slap in something similar. About 70% of the time I leave it alone, and to the other 30% I make a few adjustments. I tend to work long hours and ear fatigue certainly creeps up.

More breaks- need coffee...

Phil- we're going to see Keaggy in Ft. Wayne in a little 200-seat place in Sept.

[Flaat]

The thirt P.O.D. (Fundamental Elements) is very clear and nice. I understand the choice.
I have the feeling, tho, that they didn't get to "experiment" much on that cd. Their next (satelite) has a much more modern sound, maybe too much, where they got to use several different guitar amps together and such.

[Kendrix]

Originally posted by doug osborne This is a great one - produced by Daniel Lanois, and released at about the same time as Bob Dylan's No Mercy, also produced by DL.

 

 

I love the vibe of Yellow Moon.

However, I always considered it to be rather dark sounding and not a good example of a neutral/balanced mix.

Perhaps you aim for that darker sound?

[fulcrum]

Pat Metheny Group Imaginary Day

Genesis No Son Of Mine

Supertramp Take The Long Way Home

Joe Jackson The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy

Yoko Kanno After - In The Dark - Torch Song

Peter Gabriel Digging In The Dirt

Billy Cobham Stratus

Rush Dreamtime

Dave Matthews Band Rhyme And Reason

Toy Matinee The Ballad Of Jenny Ledge

Alan Parsons Oh Life (There Must Be More)

 

I chose these for any number of reasons... either because there's a lot of information in the soundscape and I want to study how the engineer made all of it fit in the mix... or there isn't a lot of information and I'm trying to figure out how to make what's there more interesting. Or there's a lot of dynamic contrast and i'm trying to figure out how much, bearing in mind that I'm listening to material that has already been through the mastering process.

 

Rev 2 of my Ref CD will probably include Gaslighting Abbie by Steely Dan (because Lord help me, I forgot about the Dan when I was burning rev 1-- and I forgot Trevor Horn's work with Seal as well), but I don't know what I'd have to lose from the above list if it came to it. I'd probably also replace the DMB cut from Under The Table with one from Stand Up.

[soundthinker]

I'll second gearmike's Allison Krauss and VotaIdiota's OK Computer. To those I add(among others):

Joshua Judges Ruth - Lyle Lovett (an album with real dynamic range)

Far East Suite - Duke Ellington (for a reminder of what a real acoustic space sounds like when recorded well)

Tidal - Fiona Apple (low end clarity, vocal smoothness)

A Few Small Repairs - Shawn Colvin (Pop mixing, sibilance check)

Justin Timberlake - More Sibilance checking.

People should also check out Bob Katz's website if they haven't already. Specifically his CD Honor Roll

/jim

[Phil O'Keefe]

Originally posted by TBush Jellyfish? Does "The Grays" count?! I have referenced that particular Jack Puig mix for a long time now... Absolutely! Good stuff! Phil- we're going to see Keaggy in Ft. Wayne in a little 200-seat place in Sept. IMO, Phil is crimminally under-rated as a guitarist and I love his voice. And he's a very nice and humble person too. I still occasionally use his 220 and Crimson and Blue albums as references too. Enjoy the show, and please let me know how you liked it.

[doug osborne]

Originally posted by Kendrix I love the vibe of Yellow Moon. However, I always considered it to be rather dark sounding and not a good example of a neutral/balanced mix. Perhaps you aim for that darker sound?

It's the kind of mix that sounds bad on poor speakers and awesome on great speakers. I think that more phase-coherent speakers can play this type of mix better. I agree that YM is not overly bright, but when I use it as a reference, I remember this

[januaryscar]

Anything mixed by Mark Trombino (jimmy eat world, blink 182, motion city soundtrack etc). He is the standard for the pop punk songs i am mixing at the moment.

[rydell]

For rock...fidelity-wise...ANYTHING mixed by Andy Wallace....HAND'S DOWN!!!

Nirvana- "Nevermind"
Rage Against The Machine- self-titled, "Evil Empire"
Toadies- "Rubberneck"

-all colossal mixes by Mr. Wallace.

Otherwise....

Zeppelin- zep four, "Houses of the Holy", Physical Graffiti", etc.
(a one-trick-pony recording-wise, but well worth the ride).

Peppers- Blood Sugar, A more 'modern' take on the zep approach to recording...room sounds, live takes with crazy overdubs, direct guitars, candles, vibe....basically an homage to the Zep thing by young guys who obviously appreciated them. Brendan O'brien brought ALOT to the table.

Brendan O'brien has many great albums for reference:

Pearl Jam- "Yield"
Stone Temple Pilots- "Tiny Music"
Bruce Springsteen- "Devils and Dust"

Nigel Godrich:

Radiohead- "O.K. Computer"
Beck- "mutations"



ALL-TIME GREATS:

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON!
THE JOSHUA TREE!!
SGT. PEPPERS!!!

Pick something similar to what you're working on and try to get your mix in the ballpark.

[pretaanluxis]

Andy Wallace is my reference, especially Freakshow by Silverchair

[kylen]

Originally posted by rydell Brendan O'brien has many great albums for reference: Pearl Jam- "Yield" Stone Temple Pilots- "Tiny Music" Bruce Springsteen- "Devils and Dust"

re 'Devils and Dust' - I just opened the jacket and Mr. Springsteen personally thanks Brendan O'Brian (mix) for "...bringing out the best in my music." But dig this - he later on thanks the mastering engineer Bob Ludwig ..."And thanks to our long time mastering genius, Bob "the manic compressor" Ludwig, who always adds something special to our music." How often do you see the mastering engineer getting noticed! Cool!

I just stumbled into a good reference CD by accident - I was supposed to pick up Ben Folds but I got Ben Harper instead - a very nice mistake for finding a great mix & balance!

Ben Harper and the blind boys of alabama "There Will be a Light" mixed by jimmy hoyson (no mastering credits!!!).
http://www.benharper.net/?page=music&sub_page=detail&id=145

[philbo]

I'm a little late entering this discussion, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway:

"Acoustic" music:

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly -- The quintessential reference album for digital mixes.

Out of the Grey - the 'Out of the Grey' album - - exceptional for it's clarity and great mix.

Chesky Records - Jazz Sampler and Audiophile Test CD - - a wonderful example of the 'right way' to record small acoustic groups.
Also, the LEDR test track can be really handy if you are doing work somewhere out of your home base - it tells you a lot about the imaging capability of the monitors you're using. See this old Bob Katz article about it if you're interested: http://stereophile.com/features/772/

Phil Keaggy - The Master and The Musician

For more electric music:

Utopia - the 'Utopia' album (Todd Rundgren)

Yes - Fragile

Joe Walsh - But Seriously Folks

I could easily come up with probably a dozen more, but these spring to mind immediately....